Your Demise Is My Pleasure
by ivane
Summary: Holly is going through a lot, her coping mechanisms aren't the best however. It's her last years of school and she has little time to get herself back in order before graduation. With friends and family though, she's sure she'll make it through - at least somewhat alive. {Human AU} {DISCONTINUED, REWRITE IN PROGRESS}
1. Your Demise Is My Pleasure

**authors note -**

 **hey! {unfortunately} i'm back- and it's no longer 2014. if you discovered me from my 'The forgotten' fanfiction, i'm sorry to say that it's no longer going to be continued since I'm not into creepypasta, not to mention the amount of cringe i experienced while rereading that. but! this is my new fanfic, sticking to the human warriors AU since these are personally, my favorite to read. this is similar to my other fanfic, sticking to the same family dynamic and hollyleaf-centric. if you stuck around, welcome back, if you're new, then i hope you choose to stay! love you all.**

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Tousled raven hued hair, cut to shoulder length, sprung into sight. The crisp, polar air cutting into the adolescent's fair skin while her face scrunched up into a flinch as an icy gust of wind skimmed her way. Previously, last night's snowfall had concealed the autumn leaves that once scattered the ground. Holly's cream-colored boots bore into the snow as she treaded her way back home.

The snow never exactly phased her, she'd remember vividly playing outside with her brothers, them creating snow-forts and throwing snowballs at each other until their mother ushered them inside before they caught the cold. A nostalgic smile made it's way to her freckled face, the last time they'd done that was at age thirteen. It'd be considered childish if they were to do it now, though maybe with some convincing the neighbors would end up witnessing three sixteen year olds throwing snowballs at each-other.

Making her way up the steps, Holly brushed some snow off the back of her jeans and stomped her boot on the chestnut colored welcome mat that was god-know-how old, all sides were frayed, the thread sprawled across the concrete of their foot porch. She fished the house key out of her pocket, pressing it into the lock and turning, her ice cold hand twisting the rusty door knob as her face was greeted with the warm, comforting air of her home. The ebony haired girl was swift to shut the door behind her, the click of it closing seemed to startle a figure laying on the couch, her muted green eyes meeting with a pair of brown ones.

"Holly! You're home- Thank god, I was so worried!" Her mother cried, rising from her spot on the couch before she was embraced by the brunette, a sheepish smile coming to Holly's face.  
"Yeah I uh- I could've swore I grabbed my phone before I left, must've not. I just went on a walk, all good. Sorry I wasn't home sooner- just y'know, snow."  
Holly explained, half lying about the ordeal. She knew she hadn't taken her phone, in fact, she even glanced at it for a few seconds before taking off, debating on whether or not to bring it. She did however, say the truth about going on a walk, Leo had pissed her off earlier. Finding out your _best friend_ is dating your idiocy of a brother is not an entirely great situation overall, and if she wasn't going to half strangle him to death she couldn't exactly stay in the same house as him.

Her green eyes flickered to the stove as Laura let go, saying something about 'You shouldn't go out by yourself' or 'Your father and I were so worried'. Of course her mind drowned them out, she squinted her eyes in order to see the time, _11:48 PM._ Holly let out an amused 'hmph', she was gone that long? As her mother finished her lecture, Holly could've swore the timing had to be worse as her father, Cyrus made his way down the stairs.

 _You're serious? I have to deal with two lectures now? Thanks, God!_ Holly angerly thought to herself, her eyes focusing on their wooden floor that looked as if it hadn't been mopped in years, except it just was yesterday, the design of the wood making it seem old and unkempt.

"You're home late." Cyrus stated, his ocean-blue eyes boring into his daughter. One hand was on the railing of the stairs as he stood waiting for a response.  
"Yeah, I am." Holly said, biting back an annoyed tone. It was obvious her father was tired, probably woken up from the commotion downstairs.  
She could see her mother give a warning glare towards Cyrus, his eyes narrowing a bit as he returned the look.  
"I think I'm going to head to bed, I'll see you two in the morning." Holly suddenly butt in, her voice off and nervous. She took her boots off and threw them into the pile of shoes before shrugging hr coat off as well, cringing at the silence in the room.

"I think we should go to bed too, love." She heard her mother say to Cyrus, the faint footsteps of socks on the wooden floor making it's way up the stairs, and by the sound of it, Cyrus followed. Holly let out a sigh of relief, dread pooling in her stomach as she realized she'd probably be grounded for the next week. Licking her dry lips, she quietly made her way towards her room, the white, wooden door cracked open the way she left it. Opening it fully, she stepped in and closed it behind her before heading to her closet. She changed into a pair of red shorts and a grey tank-top, laying down on her bed and relishing in the comfort as the mattress sunk around her.

Nervously, she reached over and grabbed her phone, awaiting the amount of texts and missed calls she was bound to have. Pressing the power button, she squinted at the harsh light that contrasted with her dark room.

 _8 missed calls from : Mom  
3 missed calls from : Dad  
4 texts from : Mom  
\- where are you?  
\- hello?  
\- come home this instant! your father's upset  
\- Holly please come home, we are all really worried, sweetie  
2 texts from : Cindy  
\- Leo told me you found out about us dating, and you weren't too happy about it  
\- I'm really sorry, Holly. I love him though, I hope we can still be friends.  
8 texts from : Heather  
\- hey girl! omg omg you won't believe what just happened  
\- so like  
\- you know dawn right? that one girl who tried to fight you last week  
\- so she texted me today and like  
\- she want's to be /friends/. excuse me what the fuck?  
\- like weren't you /just/ trying to beat up one of /my/ friends?  
\- not that you'd lose girl! you'd totally kick her ass if she laid a hand on you  
\- so i said no ofc, and she went off! like fr, not everyone wants to be friends with a straight up psycho. what a bitch. but i'd totally watch out monday, she's kinda out for you. love you girl, gn!  
1 text from : Floyd  
\- Hey Holly, I was wondering if you're free tomorrow? I need to talk to you about_ something.

Holly's eyes widened at the last text, ignoring Heather's rampage of gossip. Her heart fluttered with nervousness as she unlocked her phone shakily to reply.

 _You : I think I'm going to be grounded, long story. But my parents have work tomorrow, you could come here if you'd like._

Floyd's reply came in a few minutes, alerting her half-asleep figure with a _ding!._ Holly quickly turned her phone back on and read the text, a soft smile gracing her lips.

 _Floyd : If you're down I can head over right now? I know it's late, but I really want to see you.  
You : Sure! Go around the back though, I'll open my window. See you soon._

Holly's heart did a jump as she sat back up on her bed, putting her phone on the charger and deciding to change into a red tank-top instead. _If I'm going to stay in my sleepwear, mind as well make it match._ She looked at herself in the mirror, making a slight face at her reflection. She felt as if she'd gained weight recently, but since they didn't own a scale in the house, there was no exactly way to be sure. Holly reached over and grabbed a red scrunchie from her dresser, tying her hair into a messy bun while she cleaned up her mascara. _Good enough, I guess. It's midnight, so it's not like it matters._

Holly walked back over to her bed, turning a dim lamp on so she could see a little better without the light seeping underneath her door. She laid there browsing social media for a while, in which she estimated around a half hour before she heard rustling next to her window as a certain male crawled through. Her eyes lit up as she rose from her bed in order to give him a hug.

"Floyd!" She said excitedly, squeezing him before letting go, looking up at his much taller figure. "Hey, Holly." The red and white haired male smiled warmly, "How was your day earlier?" Floyd walked over towards her bed, sitting down on the comfy mattress, Holly following beside him.

"Exhausting. Leo told me him and Cindy are _dating_. Are you serious? Literally anyone in the entire world and my best friend had to choose my _brother_." Holly complained, rolling her eyes. "So then I took a walk in order to get away from him before I ended up strangling him to death, and y'know, the dumbass I am, I didn't take my phone. Four hours later I come home and my mother lectures me half-to-death and now I'm here." She laughed, purposefully leaving out the part about her dad. "What about yours?"

The corners of Floyd's mouth curled into an amused smile, resting his hand on the comforter, the paleness of it contrasting heavily with Holly's dark grey covers. "It was alright, I suppose. I volunteered at a soup kitchen and cleaned tables there, not the most interesting, but the owner offered me a few bucks just for helping out. I had to reject him though, I'd feel guilty taking money for doing something I did out of pure kindness." His jade eyes met hers as he chuckled a bit, looking around her room and admiring the skillfully decorated area.  
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" Holly inquired, perking up as she remembered. Her heart sped up a bit as Floyd nodded. "Aha- Yeah. I did." She heard him chuckle nervously, increasing her own nervousness.

She couldn't exactly pinpoint _what_ she was worried about, it was probably nothing, but 'nothing' didn't need to be talked about face-to-face. It must've been important if he couldn't text it to her. Her eyes scanned him as if it'd give a hint to what he was about to say, but to her avail, there was nothing.  
"Holly- I think I'm in love with you." Floyd suddenly blurted, his face burning in embarrassment as he looked at her. Taking in a shaky breath, "No- I don't _think,_ I am. I'm in love with you- I have been for a while now. And I know you're still distant to be in a relationship ever since Sol broke up with you but-"  
"Floyd I-" Holly started, feeling as if her heart was going to burst outside of her rib cage. "I'm in love with you too." She confessed, letting out a sigh of relief, her lips curling into a smile as she met Floyd's hopeful eyes.

Her head sunk into the pillow as she looked up at the ceiling, them both relishing in the calm silence before he finally spoke up again. "I'm so glad. I was worried- since you're so perfect to me. From your laugh, the way your eyes twinkle when you're excited, the fact that you'll go out of your way to help people in need. You're so kind to everyone, even the people who are mean to you, you find a way to see the good in them. I love that about you. You're perfect in the way you look as well, how you look drop dead gorgeous even when you arrive to school half-asleep and your hair all messy. The way your freckles contrast so vividly to your skin, those pretty green eyes of yours that can hold so much emotion at once- It's just. Everything about you is so amazing." Floyd spoke, his eyes showing honesty in every word. Holly felt her face flush as she smiled, tears pricking at her eyes.  
"Stop, you're making me emotional." She half laughed, her voice breaking between as a tear fell onto her cheek. The bed dipped down a bit as Floyd moved beside her, almost effortlessly pulling her onto his lap. "Hey darling, It's okay to be emotional." Floyd pressed a gentle kiss to her hair, running his hand up and down her arm.

"It's just- Sol never treated me that way. He never called me gorgeous, or talked about my personality. He'd constantly compare me to other girls as if he felt I needed to be better." Holly wiped away a stray tear and kept herself from crying more. "I really love you, Floyd. Please don't turn out like him." Her voice pleading, brimming with an almost desperate twinge. Floyd felt his heart sink slightly, shaking his head as he pulled her closer, his hand now resting on her jaw.  
"Never in a billion years, sweetheart. I promise you." He leaned in and gave her a loving kiss on the lips, feeling Holly relax into his touch as she kissed back briefly before it broke.

They both stayed silent for a while, cherishing the moment as they pressed together. Eventually Floyd shifted a bit, laying down on the bed with a half-asleep Holly on top. He gently played with her hair until her breathing slowed as sleep consumed her. Reaching over, he turned off the lamp, sleep soon taking over him as well.

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 **thank you so much for reading! i def. haven't written in a while but this was sweet to write. as you saw, hollyleaves is going to be the main ship here, sorry if you like any other ships! ;;; of course as the series goes on, lots of things are going to happen, so who knows who Holly's going to end up with at the end. review if you'd like! it helps me get chapters out quicker.**


	2. Family Dynamics and Chars

**just some character + background info for the story!**

 **Laura P. Wiley {Leafpool, 38}** \- wavy, mouse brown hair. medium skin with light freckles. honey-brown eyes. acts very protective of her family, kind-hearted, kind of a pushover parent. works at the local hospital. mother to Leo, Jay, and Holly, step-mother to Bryson. married to Cyrus.

 **Cyrus F. Wiley {Crowfeather, 40}** \- shaggy, black hair that falls over his eyes. fair skin. dark ocean blue eyes. acts apathetic most of the time but deep down cares about his family deeply. very protective of Leo, Jay, and Holly. works as a manager at the local power company. father to Leo, Jay, Holly, and Bryson. married to Laura.

 **Holly L. Wiley {Hollyleaf, 16}** \- very wavy black hair that goes down to her shoulders. fair skin with dark brown freckles that stick out. swamp green eyes, a bit on the lighter side. acts impulsive, often regretting her decisions soon after. very kind-hearted and tries to see the best in everyone, even if it seems like there is none. no part-time job. sister to Leo and Jay, half sister to Bryson. relatively popular at school, respected by peers and gets noticed a lot. best friends with Cindy, Heather, and Hailey. girlfriend of Floyd. ex-girlfriend to Sol.

 **Jay F. Wiley {Jayfeather, 16}** \- short dyed platinum blond hair with dark brown roots growing in. pale skin with a scar under his right eye. ice-blue eyes {not blind in this}. acts quiet and reserved, a little grumpy almost always but is close with Holly, constantly making sure she's okay. no part-time job. brother to Leo and Holly, half brother to Bryson. not popular at school, but not unpopular either. doesn't necessarily have a best friend, but considers Floyd a close one. romantic interest in no one.

 **Leo B. Wiley {Lionblaze, 16}** \- golden blond hair that goes down to his ears. medium toned skin with two freckles on his left cheek. bright amber eyes. acts loud and reckless, laughs a lot. part-time job at KFC. brother to Holly and Jay, half-brother to Bryson. about the same popularity as Holly, being a jock. has plenty of girls chasing after him. best friends with Mike. boyfriend of Cindy. ex-boyfriend to Heather.

 **Bryson P. Wiley {Breezepelt, 15}** \- semi-curly black hair that is normally pushed up. medium skin with a big scar on his eyebrow. about the same color eyes as Leo. acts rude and aggressive, tends to get into fights a lot at school which leads to suspension. at school he's disliked and he hangs with the wrong crowd. no part-time job. half brother to Leo, Jay, and Holly. no close friends. romantic interest in Heather.

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 **Floyd L. Shirley {Fallen Leaves, 17}** \- ear length white-ish blond hair with dyed orange patches. very pale skin with orange freckles. around the same eye color as Holly, a little darker. acts very kind towards everyone, helping those in need. a little possessive over Holly, quick to tell other guys who attempt to flirt off real quick, but would never actually fight. at school he used to be barely known, a lot of people only asking him for homework answers, which he gave. but since becoming the boyfriend of Holly his popularity rose a bit, but he's still really kind to others. no part-time job but does volunteer work a lot. considers Jay a close friend. boyfriend of Holly.

 *** Sol S. ? {Sol, 17}** \- dark brown hair with dyed white, red, and orange patches. medium skin with a few scars on his cheek. dark amber eyes. acts manipulative and melodramatic, guilt tripping people until they do what he wants. at school he's not well known, as he barely shows up, but people that encounter him generally dislike him, especially if they have a positive outlook on Holly. no part-time job but is rumored selling drugs. no close friends. ex-boyfriend of Holly. romantic interest in Holly.

 **Heather T. Costa {Heathertail, 16}** \- long, wavy blonde hair with dark blonde highlights. fair skin with almost zero imperfections. gentle, blue eyes but tends to wear lilac colored contacts. acts boldly, doesn't hesitate to call people out on their bs. enjoys gossiping and spilling drama that she over hears to her friends. at school she's pretty popular, along with Holly and Hailey. no part-time job but her parents are pretty rich. best friends with Holly and Hailey. ex-girlfriend of Leo. romantic interest in Leo.

 **Hailey T. South {Hazeltail, 16}** \- light blonde hair that fades into a medium brown, goes down to about mid-back length. fair skin with light freckles. light greenish-blue eyes. acts gentle, but joins in on the gossip with Heather. talks trash a lot, but would never say it to anyone's face. at school she's again, popular along with Heather and Holly. no part-time job. best friends with Holly and Heather. no romantic interest. sister to Mike.

 **Mike W. South {Mousewhisker, 16}** \- short brown hair with lighter chunks of blond. same skin tone as Hailey, a bit more freckles. same eye color as Hailey. acts rambunctious and pulls a lot of pranks, doesn't trust others very easily. at school he's pretty popular, being a jock along with Leo. a lot of girls have crushes on him. best friends with Leo. brother to Hailey. romantic interest in Holly.

 **Cindy H. Lotus {Cinderheart, 16}** \- dyed grey hair that goes to about mid-neck length, straight. pale skin with light dusting of freckles. light, soft blue eyes. acts gentle and caring, smiles a lot, but is quick to anger if people mess with the people she loves. honest. at school she's nor popular or unpopular, not being friends with Holly's other best friends which gives her lack of popularity. she's liked and respected by the people who do know her though. best friends with Holly. girlfriend of Leo.

 **Dawn P. Kirst {Dawnpelt, 16}** \- light brown hair that goes to her shoulders, straight. medium to tan skin with a scar on her neck. light amber eyes. acts rude, and a bit dishonest. blames others for things and tends to try and fight others. nor popular or unpopular at school, but generally disliked by peers. dislikes Holly strongly. has a few friends who she sticks close with. no romantic interest.

 **Ivy P. Farn {Ivypool, 14}** \- light blond hair with darker blond streaks, cut to shoulder length. pale skin with a few freckles, and a deep scar on her shoulder. acts reckless but ambitious, strives to be the best. jealous of her sister and tries to be better than her. at school she hangs out with a variety of different people, isn't liked or disliked by anyone. no best friend, but wants to try and join Holly's group of friends. romantic interest in Bryson. sister to Dove.

 **Dove W. Farn {Dovewing, 14}** \- dark blond hair, wavy and around upper back length. pale skin with nearly no imperfections. acts kind-hearted but gentle, a little self-boasting though. at school she's generally liked by the few people she knows, but tries really hard to become popular, hanging out with only people that have a high social status. best friends with no one in particular. romantic interest in Leo. sister to Ivy.

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 *** Sol -**  
Sol was very abusive towards Holly, both verbally and a little physically. He manipulated her into doing things she didn't want to and constantly compared her to other girls, pointing out her flaws and telling her to be more like them. This took a huge toll on Holly and eventually Cindy had to yell at Holly to break up with him. Holly eventually broke up with him, but he continues to try and get her back by telling her Floyd is just going to leave her someday, and that he's the only person that will ever love her.

 **Family Dynamics -**

Laura and Cyrus have been married for a while and they eventually decided to have kids, they have Jay, Leo, and Holly. Less than a year later, Cyrus decides to cheat on Laura with a girl named Nyomi {Nightcloud} and gets her pregnant. Laura finds out and they break up for a while, but eventually get back together. Nyomi gives birth to Bryson, but dies in the process. Cyrus, not wanting to give Bryson up for adoption, convinces Laura to let him live with them. Laura accepts and soon becomes a motherly figure to Bryson, treating him as if that was her own son. Bryson doesn't get along with his siblings and often gets into arguments with them, leading Laura or Cyrus to end up having to break up a physical fight.

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 **that's all i got down! and im pretty sure the only characters that will be mentioned in the series. if you want someone else to be added to this just leave a review telling me who! preferably someone around the same timeline as these cats are alive in the books.**


	3. You'll Always Only Be a Sinking Ship

**my goal for this is to update once a week but ;; unfortunately, i'm a student, so that chance is unlikely. i'll def. try though! holiday break is coming up, so hopefully, i'll be able to update a lot more then.**

 **TW for sensitive topics!**

 **thank you to anyone who decides to review or follow!**

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Holly was awoken by the hesitant shift of the bed, along with the faint commotion in which she estimated was coming from the kitchen, and from what she heard, her parents were about to head to work. A soft, annoyed whine escaped her lips as the natural light that flooded in from her window shone right on her freckled skin.

Her swamp-green eyes swept over to where Floyd was sitting, on the foot of her bed. His weight dipped into the mattress while he tied his sneakers. Floyd must've noticed her awakening as he peered back and gave a soft smile. The raven-haired girl gave a soft smile back, her hand reaching up to wipe the sleep from her eyes.

"Are you going home?" Holly asked, her voice twinged with disappointment as she admired his sitting figure. Floyd finished tying his shoe, and instead of answering right away, he made his way over to where Holly laid, the right side of the bed. His shoes clacked against the hard-wood floors, the lean figure of his body slouching over her own dainty one. He pressed a quick kiss on her forehead and reached down to grab her hand.

"Not exactly, just going to the store. I'll be back here in about thirty minutes. Do you want donuts?" Floyd smiled, a meek chuckle slipping out of his lips at the sight of Holly's red-hued face in which she tried to hide.

"Ugh- stop making me all flustered, Floyd! You're supposed to be the awkward one here, I'm _popular,_ remember?" Holly half joked, successfully squirming out of his loose grip and rolling towards the other side of the bed, Floyd giving an amused laugh at this.

"Right, yeah. Okay, _Ms. Popular,_ do you want donuts or not?" Floyd repeated, resting his hand on her dark grey bed-sheets, a smile still plastered on his face.

"I mean," Holly started, her joy of just a few minutes ago fading as she thought about it. "I don't know, I feel like I've been eating too much lately," She confessed, shifting her gaze from him to the high ceilings of her dove grey painted room. "I'll probably just eat a banana or something, breakfast doesn't sound too good right now though."

Floyd gave a soft nod, his jade eyes showing a concerned look towards his girlfriend. "Are you sure? You looked skinnier than when I saw you last week. Are you eating enough?" He asked, worry lacing his voice as he sat on the bed, his own freckled hand reaching over to grasp hers and give it a comforting squeeze.

Holly felt her blood go frozen, an anxious, but gentle laugh escaping her pink-hued lips.  
"I'm sure, Floyd. I've been eating fine, maybe it's just because I've been exercising more?" Her voice gave away an obvious lie, in which Floyd picked up right away. None-the-less, he sighed and nodded, letting go of her thin hand and moving to stand back up.

"Okay, Holly. I have to go now, I want to talk about this when I get back, okay?" Floyd shot a glance towards the wavy haired girl, who had now sat up a bit more, her feet on the cold wooden floors.

Holly did nothing but nod, not bothering to glance back at him while she strained her ears, trying to figure out whether or not her family was still in the kitchen. She came to the conclusion that her brother's had probably gone back to bed, and her parents had already left. After all, it was only 9:00 AM on a Saturday.

"You can go out through the front, I don't think anybody's out there." She mentioned as she saw Floyd out of the corner of her eye heading towards her window. He nodded and headed towards her wooden door, twisting the handle and sweeping one last glance at Holly before slipping out, quietly shutting the door behind him.

With a sigh, the raven-haired girl slowly stood back up, deciding to make herself some-what presentable. She figured her parents were going to wait until they both got home from work in order to ground her, or perhaps her mom had just convinced her dad to let it go. Either way, she dreaded the moment she had to face them both again.

Her walk represented tiredness as she made her way towards her full-length mirror, painted a black color to fit the theme of her room. Making a face at her reflection, she sat down on the fur rug that laid in front and reached over to grasp the faux-leather makeup bag that sat in a wooden basket, placed right beside the mirror. She took out her mascara, which she had bought around a week ago, and applied some to her eyelashes, along with putting on some highlighter and lip gloss. It wasn't like she needed to be anywhere that day anyways, though it was still good to not look like you just crawled out of bed.

Holly finished up her makeup and reached up to remove her scrunchie, wincing a bit as her hair was pulled. Once the hair-tie was out, she gave a soft chuckle at the way her hair stuck up from the previously made messy bun. There was no use brushing it though, it'd only make it frizzy and unmanageable, so she decided to just go ahead and wet it, then blow-dry it afterwards.

Standing up from her place on the rug, she headed towards the wooden door of her connecting bathroom, the air-vent still running from her yesterday shower. Flicking the power switch to turn the noise off, she made her way towards the sink, avoiding her reflection in the mirror as she flipped her mess of hair into the sink while her hand twisted the hot water on.

She let out a shocked gasp at the cold water that spurted out, but relaxed as it was soon replaced with warm water. Her hair now wet, she turned the faucet off and squeezed the remaining water in her hair out into the drain, grabbing a towel from the rack and drying it off a little more. Holly shot a look towards herself in the mirror and sighed before reaching for her hair-dryer.

Plugging the cord into the electrical socket, she turned the 'warm' button on and flinched at the loud noise that emitted from the machine, hoping that it wouldn't wake her brothers up. She quickly dried her hair until it looked somewhat not like a birds' nest while turning the blow-dryer off, placing it on her marble topped counter.

Holly tugged a bit at the tank-top she was wearing, debating on whether or not to continue wearing it just for the day, and eventually came to the conclusion to just change her outfit completely. Exiting her bathroom, she walked over to her rather small closet, picking out a simple red hoodie embroidered with a single, small holly-leaf on the chest and a pair of semi-ripped dark blue jeans.

She changed quickly from her outfit, not wanting to look at herself for much longer than she had to, and by the time she'd finished, there was a knock on her door. Holly glanced at her wall clock and made a confused noise, it hadn't been thirty minutes yet, had it? Her estimation deemed right, and she came to the realization that it was probably just one of her brothers knocking.

With a roll of her eyes, she strode over to her door and twisted the knob, coming face-to-face with her brother Jay. He wore a concerned look on his face, and she immediately softened up at the sight of him, with Leo, it'd be another story.

"Are you doing okay? I heard you didn't come back til' midnight last night. Did something happen besides, y'know, Leo?" Jay asked softly, backing away a bit from her door. He offered a soft smile.

"No, not really. Well- I mean. Not exactly?" Holly's words came out in a tumble, "Me and Floyd are dating now." She admitted, a nervous smile plastered on her face.

Jay gave an amused chuckle at that, raising an eyebrow as he looked at his sister. "That so? He's been eyeing you for a while now. I'm glad you two finally got together." He commented, tapping mindlessly at the door frame.  
"Besides that though, if you ever need to talk, I'm here, okay? I won't snitch on you like Leo or Bryson would." The blond haired teen threw in, before leaving to head up the stairs, Holly yelling after him a quick 'okay, got it!'.

Heading back into her room, she shut the door and checked her notifications on her phone, not surprised to see a dozen texts from Heather and Hailey, along with one or two from Cindy. She didn't really bother to respond to them, it was too early in the morning to listen to her friends, minus Cindy, gossip about any other girl who dared to step in their tracks the wrong way.

It was a mere five minutes later when her door was opened again slowly, revealing Floyd, now back with a box of donuts and some drinks. Jolting from her spot on the bed at the sudden intrusion, she gave a soft smile at Floyd as she realized it was him.

"You're back," Holly breathed, "Do you still want to talk, or?" She asked cautiously as he set the box of donuts on the bedside table. She saw Floyd nod as he sat beside her on the bed, a gentle smile coming to his face as he pulled Holly into his lap.

Holly felt her face flush as she relaxed against his chest, lightly squeezing his forearm.  
"You need to stop making me blush. God, Floyd." She jokingly complained, twisting a lock of black hair around her finger.

"Mhm, but that's my job isn't it, darling?" Floyd laughed, wrapping his arms around her frail figure.  
"-But seriously, Holly. Please tell me you aren't starving yourself- I'm really worried about you." His voice dipped into a concerned state as he gently traced mindless shapes on Holly's back.

The ebony haired girl felt her heart start to speed up, it wasn't that she had- not purposefully at least, it was because if he found out the truth he might be upset. Then again, he'd be upset if she kept it from him. Ultimately making her decision, she took a deep breath in,  
"Not exactly, I mean- It's just. My friends, they're all like _that_ and I guess I just want to fit in. They seem so much better than me, and if I want to keep up my social status I have to be better, y'know? And I guess I just don't like to eat around them, which sucks- since I'm basically around them all the time."

She explained nervously, her voice shaking as if Floyd would yell at her over the ordeal. Instead, however, he simply just pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head without a word. She felt him shift a bit from beneath her, moving to lay down on the bed while Holly laid on his chest.

Floyd wasn't exactly sure how to respond to her explanation, not wanting to sound like he didn't think her friends were good friends, but at the same time- they honestly weren't. He'd noticed how the three of them interacted, spreading gossip and toxicity like an electrical wire.

"Is your popularity really worth risking your life?" He eventually asked, looking up at his girlfriend, one hand resting on her back and the other softly playing with locks of her raven hair.

"I'm still healthy! I mean- I'm not _dead._ Skipping a few meals wouldn't hurt." Holly was quick to defend, "Besides, I wouldn't want to end up sitting with those loser kids at lunch, I have a reputation to keep.

Ignoring her toxic mindset, he let out a sigh.  
"Right, got it. Please stay healthy though, okay? For me?" Floyd's voice sounded a bit pleading as he waited for her response.

"Yeah, okay." Holly offered a gentle smile and took in a deep breath, relieved that he didn't seem too upset. Relaxing against his chest, she felt herself begin to become sleepy again, the warmth of both the furnace running in her room and Floyd's body causing her to start dozing off.

Floyd chuckled, his regularly light-hearted demeanor coming back as he watched her struggle to stay awake. He continued to draw shapes against her back while she eventually just fell asleep all together.

Deep in his mind he knew Holly needed to drop her friends, but at the same time- she'd never. She'd do anything to keep her hard worked status, even if it meant sacrificing both her mental and physical health. It broke his heart but he knew he couldn't change it, she seemed pretty stubborn towards the ordeal.

Sighing, he rested his head on the pillow, waiting for her to wake up- which God knows when.  
"I love you, Holly. I wish you could get better." He mumbled to no-one in particular, well aware that she was completely asleep.

With that said, he closed his eyes and relaxed, the faint _ding_ _!_ of Holly's phone jolting him from his trance. Not wanting to snoop on her privacy, he left it alone, but he had a gut feeling it probably wasn't the best as he peered over to see Sol's contact name in the notifications.

 _Speak of the Devil._

* * *

 **aahhh ;;;;; i spent a day writing this + procrastination and it didn't really turn out that good and not much progressed. I'm starting to think shorter chapters might be better, what do y'all think?**


	4. You're Raising Hell

**im back and updating sooner than i thought! finals are coming up at school so,,, yikes. hopefully i can squeeze a few more chapters in before stress ends up breaking me.**

 **PSA: very light NSFW {nothing graphic, just insinuated}**

 **thank you for anyone who reviews! constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

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Sol's text ignited Floyd's anger like a flame, and temptation flooded through his veins to check what the text said. Of course he wouldn't though- Holly was asleep, it would be an invasion of her privacy to check a text on her phone without permission. Was it really though? It's not like he was going to reply.

 _What am I thinking? I can't, not without asking Holly first._

Floyd thought, eventually just putting his thoughts to rest as he felt Holly shift a bit in his arms. A soft smile graced his lips as he watched, reaching into his pocket to grab his own phone and scroll through social media while waiting for her to wake up.

Eventually, after around twenty more minutes, he felt another shift and then a quiet whine as Holly slowly awakened, her green eyes slowly opening to meet his own. A soft yawn escaped her lips while she looked around, her hand fisted in the tan fabric of his t-shirt.

"How long was I asleep?"

Holly asked tiredly, her eyes flickering to the donuts that were still sitting on her bedside table, untouched. The light that flooded into her room still held the same hue, signifying her that she couldn't have been asleep that long.

"Only about 40 minutes, it's 10:30."

He replied gently, setting his phone down. Taking in a deep breath, he remembered the text.

"Uh- Sol texted you. I saw the notification."

Floyd mentioned cautiously, scanning her face for an emotion as he said it - being met with both fear and disgust. Holly looked at him nervously, the statement flinging her into a slight state of panic. She wanted _nothing_ to do with him - ever again.

Seeing the scared emotions on her face, Floyd ran a comforting hand through her hair, his eyes flickering to her phone which lied on the bedside table where she left it.

"If you want, I can check it for you so you don't have to read it."

He offered, smiling as Holly's expression faded a bit to relief and hopefulness.

"Could you, please? You already know my pass-code, right? 6504?"

Holly said quickly, reaching over to grab her phone and give it to Floyd, her hands trembling as she did so. Floyd nodded and gently took the device from her, entering the password effortlessly. He was met with a ton of texts from Holly's friends, mostly gossiping about stupid shit or asking where she was, though he ignored those, moving straight to Sol's text.

Floyd tapped on the unread text, his eyes scanning the small letters, anger boiling in his veins as he read.

 _Hey babe, miss me yet? I bet you're lonely without me. Nobody's ever going to love you the way I did, right? That's what I thought. You should come back to me, I can promise you I will treat you better than anyone else would. I love you, and you love me too._

Holly noticed his angered expression and was grateful she didn't read it. It took a lot to anger Floyd, so this must've been bad, and before she knew it she saw Floyd begin to text back, his thumbs moving quickly across the keyboard.

 _listen here, asshole. you have no fucking right to talk to my girlfriend like that. Holly doesn't 'need' you and she never will. you're an abusive piece of shit who's not in their right mind to be talking to her that way. do you have any idea the fear in her eyes when she saw the notification from your text? that's fucked up. i wouldn't be surprised if she had PTSD from the way you treated her. don't text her ever again, or you'll regret it._

Floyd sent, his anger vanishing as he set her phone on the table, his gaze meeting hers.

"I just sent him a lil' something. Don't bother checking it."

He gave a soft smile and kissed her forehead, carefully moving her up further on his lap - to which Holly blushed darkly and buried her face in his shirt.

"I love you," Holly confessed,  
"I love you so much."

Her voice broke a little at the statement as she willed away tears, Floyd moving a hand down to cup her cheek.

"Hey, darling, it's okay. I love you too."

He offered a loving smile and kissed her firmly before pulling away at a knock on the door. Holly paused for a moment, still a bit dazed from the kiss before calling out,

"Who is it!"

"Uh- Leo. I'm here to apologize."

Holly huffed and rolled her eyes, staring at her door.

"Go away, I'm busy right now. Apologize later, asshat."

She called back, shifting a bit on Floyd's lap and grabbing a blanket to wrap around herself.

"Why? You have a guy in there or something?"

Holly heard him tease on the other side of the door, and for a moment there, she believed she couldn't have been any more annoyed.

"Yes, actually! Now go, before I beat you with a ruler next time I see you."

Floyd stifled a laugh at that and stared lovingly at his girlfriend as he heard footsteps gradually leaving the door. Once he'd deemed that Leo had gone back upstairs, he gently cupped Holly's cheek again and kissed her passionately, in which she returned swiftly.

Gradually, it escalated into them being flipped, Holly pressed into the mattress and her sweatshirt pushed up to reveal part of her bra - and of course her oblivious brother upstairs playing video games.

* * *

 **experimental short chapter but yall can guess where that went. sdjsakh i dont want to include smut into this fanfic, but i might create a separate fic if yall want it i guess?**

 **also i have ,,, plans,, that aren't going to take place until a few more chapters, but it's going to affect Holly big time. try and guess what!**

 **again, thank you for anyone who favs/reviews/follows. see you all in a few days! next chapter will take place on Monday, when Holly returns to school.**


	5. Together We Strive

**ughugh the stress finally got to me but yknow, i'm hanging on ig**

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Holly woke to the obnoxious beeping of her alarm clock, the green letters that contrasted with the darkness of her room showing _8:00 AM_. With a groan, she rose from her dark grey quilted comforter, placing her feet on the cold hard-wood floors which racked a shiver through her body.

She'd only gotten around six hours of sleep, as opposed to her normal nine. This was mostly because she was used to Floyd sleeping next to her, as he had been for the last two days, only leaving last night. It'd only been a mere twelve hours since he left, but she still missed him as if he'd been gone for a year.

Running her fingers through her messy hair, she winced at the tangles that had formed through the night. Eventually, after five minutes of just sitting there, struggling to wake herself up - or at least gather the motivation to turn on the light, she managed to make her way over to the mirror. Holly was quick to apply her makeup, doing a regular full face as she always did for school.

She'd curled her hair and put it in a low pony-tail, the red scrunchie popping against her black hair before picking out an outfit. By now it was already _8:45_ and she could hear her family's commotion in the kitchen. Her outfit consisted of a maroon body-suit, a pair of light, almost white denim skinny jeans paired with a black monochrome windbreaker and 2-inch casual black heels.

In a rush, Holly swiftly put a pair of gold dangle earring in and spritzed her normal rose-scented body spray on, which everyone who knew her came to recognize. She grabbed her purse and backpack, which both were a matching shade of black and headed out her bedroom door, making sure to grab her phone along the way.

She always got to school before her brothers did, meeting her friends and hanging out with them before the first bell rung at _9:30_. Holly gave a quick 'hello' to her brothers and mother before rushing out the door, having already been running late. She hadn't seen her father downstairs, so she figured he was still asleep or getting ready.

The click of her heels on the sidewalk sounded as she made her way to school, the cold biting at her exposed skin as she pulled the windbreaker closer, though it didn't do much for warmth. She was grateful that she lived so close to the high-school, it only being around a ten minute walk, five if she was in a rush. Eventually, she came to the entrance, the rather extravagant looking building in front of her.

She took note of the few students conversing throughout the courtyard, a group of kids which were known as 'The Dark Foresters' hanging next to one of the tall pillars in front of the main entrance. Snorting, she choked back a laugh, they called themselves 'evil', but to the public they just looked like a bunch of emo kids that probably beat up toddlers for fun and sold drugs.

Rolling her eyes, she breezed past them, passing a cold glare to one of the members before heading inside, the warmth of the building relaxing her as she glanced at the time again. _9:12. Ah, shit._ Holly thought to herself, adjusting her backpack as she made her way to the cafe that sat inside of her school, catching site of Heather, who was texting on her phone. Hailey must've not been there yet.

Perking up, she smiled and headed over to Heather, sitting down beside her friend, in which she was greeted with an excited gasp.

"Holly! Oh my god- where have you _been!_ I thought you like- died or some shit, for real. I have so much drama to tell you it's not even funny."

Heather exclaimed, a grin on her face, complimenting her delicate features. Holly took in her outfit, which consisted of a white plaid skirt, a yellow cropped tank-top and a black cardigan. She dressed kinda like a bee, and Holly had to hold back a laugh over that. Though, she did have to mention it.

"Not dead, just was grounded." Holly lied, a smile coming to her face as well, "You're dressed like a bee, Heather. Didn't you bring another colored cardigan? A white one would've looked better, just saying. You'll have to change before someone here sees you."

She explained. It might've sounded rude if it were another set of friends, but for Holly, Hailey, and Heather it was normal. They all had to make sure none of their outfits looked off, or they might be thrown in a rumor mill. Being popular had it's downfalls, for sure. One wrong action, outfit, or interaction could send you sitting with the kids who picked their noses in class.

Heather cringed a little bit at Holly's words, but nodded. She opened her mouth to agree, only to be interrupted by the voice of a certain brown-haired girl. Scowling she turned, only to be met with the smirking face of Dawn and her group of first-world problem emo kids.

Dawn snorted and looked at both Holly and Heather up and down, a chuckle escaping her lips.

"Didn't know it was Halloween, Heather."

Her insult was backed up with the half-forced laughs of her friends, in which Holly scowled at. Holly's jade eyes narrowed at the brunette, her manicured nails digging into her palm.

"Dawn, sweetheart, I think you're forgetting who exactly you're speaking to. You do realize nobody likes you as it is, correct? One more set of words and you won't even be welcome in the cafeteria anymore, you'll be lower than the mud you fell into in fifth grade. Trust me, no-one forgot that."

Holly chided, a smirk coming to her face as she looked at Dawn straight in the eye before turning around, paying no mind to the now furious and embarrassed student. She looked at Heather, who held back a string of laughs as she looked at Holly, the faint steps of Dawn and her friends fading away.

"Jesus Christ, Holly. Absolutely brutal, but seriously, I need to change. But let's wait until Hailey gets here, we can just skip first period to go back to my place or something."

Heather suggested, taking off her cardigan in order to ease her embarrassment. She noted Holly's face as she said it, that of disagreement.

"I mean- Ugh. I can't skip first because my boyfriend's in that class and I want to see him."

"Wait- you got a boyfriend?"

Holly gave a sheepish smile,

"Yeah, I didn't tell you did I?"

Heather raised an eyebrow, an excited grin coming to her face.

"Uh- No! Who is it? Is it Mike? He's so cute- though I'm not sure how Hailey would feel about that. Tell me!"

She begged, her lilac covered eyes scanning Holly's nervous figure.

"Not Mike, I wouldn't date my brothers close friends, I actually have boundaries when it comes to that."

Holly grumbled the last part to herself, but then perked up again.

"Oh! But his name's Floyd. Floyd Shirley, blond-ish orange hair? You've seen him before."

"-Who? Holly, _please_ tell me you're not dating some loser."

Heather groaned, looking at Holly's now semi-embarrassed form.

"He's not a 'loser', Heather! I mean, he's not _popular_ but at least he doesn't have a bad reputation. I'll introduce you to him later, or uh- now if you want. I can text him before the bell rings."

Holly glanced at her phone, the time showing 9:21 now. She saw Heather mumble something before nodding, and she quickly typed up a text to tell Floyd where they were. With a sigh, she crossed her legs and leaned against the table, many other students starting to crowd in the building causing her to get a few 'hello's from her peers.

"Heather, can you check your phone and see where the fuck Hailey is? She'd normally be here by now."

Holly asked, a twinge of annoyance slipping into her tone as she noticed some guy in the corner of her eye looking her up and down as if she were a piece of prey. It wasn't uncommon for guys to look at her like that, but no matter how many times it happened it still made bile well up in her throat. She noticed Heather check her phone and let out a sigh, then roll her eyes as if she was disappointed over something she saw.

"She's not gonna be here today, she's 'sick'."

Heather mocked, grumbling something beneath her breath before setting her phone back in her purse. Holly threw a sympathetic look towards her friend and nodded, it was never as fun without Hailey. It'd also be awkward not having three at their lunch table, the way they were used to, and God be damned if they were to let a low-class sit beside them.

Holly fiddled with a key chain attached to her bag nervously as another teen sat beside her, male. She inched closer to Heather and let out a sigh, it's not like she could just tell the guy to sit somewhere else, the bell was going to ring in five minutes so there was no use, she just really wished Floyd would get here by now. To her relief, the sight of Floyd's blond and orange hair came into view as he started walking towards her, his usual soft smile plastering his face.

"Hey, gorgeous."

Floyd said softly, admiring her outfit before leaning down and kissing her forehead, then taking a seat next to her, his arm moving to wrap around her thin waist. Heather looked at him before smiling,

"Oh hey, I'm Heather. You're Floyd, I'm guessing. Holly mentioned you."

She commented, her voice friendly and light. She noticed Holly flush with embarrassment as she gently held her boyfriend's hand.

"Yeah, I'm Floyd. Nice to meet you!"

He said back, genuine kindness seeping into his accented voice, the last bit being interrupted by the loud ring of the bell, students beginning to make their way to class. Heather simply gave a nod, and turned to Holly, who was resting her head on Floyd's shoulder.

"C'mon, Holly. I have to change, remember? We should just go to the mall."

Heather said, the tiniest bit of venom leaking into her voice as she looked at the two. Holly let out a sigh and nodded, sending a sympathetic look to Floyd as she gently pried away from his grasp. Floyd held her hand a bit longer before leaning in and giving her a gentle kiss.

"Alright, remember to eat something, okay?"

He smiled and reluctantly let go of her hand, watching as Holly walked towards Heather, gathering her bags off the bench.

"I'll try, I love you-"

"-God, Holly! Hurry up!"

Heather complained, sending a glare towards the ravenette, who promptly ignored her and gave Floyd one last kiss before finally getting ready to leave, Floyd making his way to class before the bell rung.

"Ugh, finally. You took forever, seriously!"

She complained, her heels clicking against the tile as she made her way out the front doors of the high school, Holly following closing behind.

" _Sorry,_ Heather. Not my fault I have an actual boyfriend instead of hopelessly crushing on my best friend's brother."

Holly shot back, rolling her eyes and getting into the passenger seat of Heather's brand new, white mustang convertible, the seats melting comfortably against her back as she set her bags in front of her feet. Heather glared daggers at her friend before starting the car up, not bothering to say much else after that statement, instead, deciding to mention something more important.

"We have a college party to go to tonight, Hailey was invited too, but she's _sick._ So it's just me and you, we can't miss it."

Holly let out a groan, bashing her head against the white leather of her seat. _Who the fuck throws a party on a Monday night? Seriously?_ She crossed her legs and nodded, annoyance shown in her body movements. She definitely wasn't in the mood to get groped by college-age boys and drink cheap beer that some guy probably spiked, I mean, who would be?

"Right, got it. I'll be getting ready at your place then."

She said, her jade eyes focusing on the objects outside the window as they traveled towards the mall.

"At least we can get a cute dress at the mall, I don't feel like wearing one of my old ones."

Holly mumbled as they pulled into the parking lot of the mall, Heather finding a close parking spot. Not many people were there yet, it being a Monday morning at 10:00 AM. Heather parked the car and gathered her purse, leaving her backpack in the back seat before getting out, Holly following behind her.

"Where to first?"

* * *

 **This took way longer than the actual outcome lol but :/ sadhjh i actually really like heathertail in the books i feel kinda bad for portraying her like this but anyways! next chapter soon hopefully.**


	6. Dress, Dress, Dress

**this chapter sucks F**

* * *

The mall was now flooded with many more people than it had been before, a few hours passing by as Holly and Heather went from shop to shop, eventually winding them both into a high-end dress boutique, containing dresses and jewelry that had to have cost far over what either of them were planning to spend in total.

"-Holly, Holly! Isn't this dress _so_ cute! You should try it on!"

Heather exclaimed, her lilac-contacted eyes darting over to Holly as she held up a rather short, red cocktail dress. It looked fancy, well- fancier than Holly was intending to wear to a frat party, at least. It was lacy on the top, no doubt requiring Holly to show at least some sort of cleavage, real diamonds studded the thin black line that extenuated the waist, and downwards, the skirt was made of a garnet colored satin.

Holly eyed it for a moment, she noted it looks like something that you'd wear to prom, minus the fact that it was so short. Her ex probably would've threw a hissy fit if he even _thought_ about Holly wearing that out in public. Debating on whether or not to even try it on, she eventually sighed and playfully rolled her eyes at Heather.

"Fine, I'll try it on, but don't you think this looks a little too dressy for a college party?"

She mentioned, reaching over and taking the dress from Heather, running her fingertips across the soft satin, and admiring the diamonds on the waist. It was no doubt gorgeous, but far too expensive looking to probably get cheap beer spilt on it.

"I mean, _maybe,_ but it looks _a-dor-able_! It's your size too, size 2, right?"

Heather grinned, turning to look through other dresses, hopefully finding one that would spark her own interest. Holly laughed nervously, but nodded, she was pretty sure she was still a size two, but between her own insecurities and the fact that she'd been eating a little more unhealthy lately, she couldn't be sure.

"Mhm, I'll try it on, you find something for yourself."

Holly chuckled, before waving towards a clerk to alert them to unlock a dressing room. She stepped into the dressing room, it was rather large, the walls painted a delicate cream, and the elements making it seem like she'd just stepped into a mansion. A mirror covered one of the walls completely, and behind her was a white pleated ottoman.

Interrupting her own awe, she sat down on the ottoman, the soft cushion sinking around her as she took the dress off the hanger delicately, as if the wrong touch would ruin it completely. With the dress completely off the hanger, she undressed and slipped the dress on, the red fabric hugging against her almost perfectly.

Holly had to stifle a gasp as she admired herself in the mirror, doing a quick twirl before digging her phone out of her purse. She _had_ to text Floyd a picture. She quickly snapped a photo of herself, posing in the mirror.

 _Holly: {: 1 image attached}  
Holly: still at the mall with heather, but look at this dress! i'm wearing it at a college party tonight, do you like it?  
Holly: wait, i didn't tell you about the party tonight, did it? i can't really get out of it, so that sucks. love and miss you!  
_

She hesitated a bit sending the last text, but shook her head as she heard Heather outside asking if she had it on yet.

"Yeah, it looks really good! Hold, on, I'll come out in a second."

Holly put her phone in her purse again and unlocked the door, stepping out and grinning at Heather, doing a quick twirl.

"So.. What do you think?" Holly laughed nervously at Heather's awed expression.

Heather admired her and let out a squeal, clapping a bit with her hands.

"Oh - my - _god._ You look drop dead _gorgeous!_ See, I was totally right! It's perfect for tonight."

She grinned, already fishing her debit card out of her purse, along with her phone. "Hold still, Hailey is gonna adore this!" Heather quickly snapped a picture of Holly, and sent it to Hailey before putting her phone back in her purse.

"Go ahead and get back in your regular clothes, we have like, 4 hours until the party starts and we have to be on time. That doesn't include us getting ready as well, my place, right?"

Heather asked before sitting down on a sofa, resting against the comfortable seat and taking note of Holly's nod as she headed back into the dressing room to get changed.

Holly changed back into her regular clothes, swiftly, only _four hours_ until they had to be there, and two of those would be spent just getting ready, then they had to drive a little bit - and probably pick up something to eat that wasn't just the chips and greasy food that they served at the party. Not that she'd eat anything anyways, despite what Floyd told her to do. He didn't have to find out.

Coming to the realization that her parents would notice her absence later, a surge of panic waved over her. Surely Jay would cover for her, right? Maybe she could ask Leo to chip in on the lie as well, as a form of an apology that she had yet to receive. A buzz in her pocket signified a notification on her phone, and Holly was quick to check it, all while gathering her things off the bench.

 _1 text from : Floyd_

 _Floyd: Call me, now._

Holly stared at the text for a moment, had she done something wrong? The slightest bit of urgency flooded her veins as she hit the call button next to his contact, unlocking the dressing room door and walking out, dress in hand. The phone rung for a few moments before she recognized the familiar voice of her boyfriend, which sounded on-edge and concerned, perhaps a bit of annoyance laced between.

"You're going to a _college_ party later? And wearing that? Don't you think that's a little too sh-"

She was quick to cut his ramble off, rolling her eyes harshly and holding a hand up to silence whatever Heather was planning to say.

"It's not that short, Floyd. I think it looks good, and Heather does too," Holly's breath hitched and she felt her heart give a painful thump against her chest. "- You're starting to sound like Sol - stop it."

Her voice eased into a panicked one as she set her things down on the bench next to Heather and held up an index finger to signify Heather to wait a bit longer. Hearing Floyd sigh at the other end of the receiver, Holly made her way to the mall's family bathroom so she could close the door behind her and not be disturbed, leaving a confused Heather behind.

Floyd's voice had softened up slightly at the sound of Holly's panicked tone.

"Listen, sweetheart - I love you. I'm not trying to be like Sol, I don't _want_ to be like him, ever. I'm just," Floyd gave an exasperated sigh, "I guess I'm just jealous. I'll get over it. Just promise me you'll knock the fuck out of whoever tries to touch you."

He half joked at the end, trying to lighten Holly's still on-edge mood. Holly shifted nervously and forced herself to relax from her previous panic, taking in a deep breath and releasing it with a shaky sigh.

"I love you too. I'm sorry for freaking out, it just - _he_ used to say the same thing. I won't wear the dress if you don't want me to."

Holly mumbled the last part, sitting down on a bench and fidgeting with her windbreaker. She felt bad for leaving Heather back there, the girl was probably annoyed and confused about Holly's sudden disappearance. After all, their time was limited and by the looks of it, Holly would probably have to pick out a different outfit as well.

"No, it's fine. It looks gorgeous on you, and you like it, so wear it. Besides, It's not my place to control you."

Floyd said warmly, easing the remainder of Holly's nerves as she let out a noise of excitement.

"Thank you! I love you - I have to go now though - the party starts soon and I still have to get ready- Heather's gonna be mad if I don't hurry up."

With that, Holly hung up before Floyd could reply, shoving her phone in her pocket and unlocking the bathroom door. She headed back to the store and approached Heather, who was idly tapping through Snapchat.

"Heather," Holly started, picking up the dress and smiling, "Let's check out, we have to get ready soon. No time for questions."

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 **aaaa god im so sorry this took FOREVER to write i literally could not motivate myself to write this chapter for the life of me. and it sucks too. im mildly disappointed at the outcome of this but expect a better chapter next time, i'll try not to take as long ;w;**


	7. uhhhh,,,

-nervous laughter-

alrighty so,,, my what? uh 3 followers of this story might be upset, but considering that this isnt that popular im sure it wont be as big of a deal

but im discontinuing this,, BUT! not forever yall

im rewriting it because this is an entire mess

with that out of the way, im unsure on when the new one is going to be released, but hopefully i can get it out soon because as of now, im on spring break

i'll see yall in the next fic!


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